Teetering on the brink

daisy_1571

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82051499#Comment_82051499

brilliant , you are using knowledge to play them at their own game. Every little win will help the spiral go in the right direction now rather than getting further into debt.

daisy_1571

I have bought some stuff for the van and the new tents I had promised the girls so we can get out and enjoy the summer. I have a million other things I would like to buy (like getting in a plumber and electrician to sort the toilets and lights but I feel like I’ve already spent way too much so that can wait until I get a job (or the toilet stops flushing completely!).

I was thinking about this. I completely get what you are saying. After so long I'm sure it feels wildly crazy to be spendin out again.

Once you have gone a couple of breaks away and you have cleared some thinking space though it would be worth thinking about this again I feel.

My reasoning if it was me would be: Every job in a house is easier in summer/warmer weather. Its easier and usually cheaper to plan a job ahead than wait till you are in an emergency situation. You could lose nothing by at least getting some trades in to look, things might be easier fixed than you think? The electricity would be easier worked on in daylight than in the darker winter days and the plumber would probably not notice the light didn't work if (s)he there in August rather than December 😂

(Once you have the van functional at least there will be a toilet to use if the house one is being worked on)

you deserve to have a reasonably working house for your own sanity as well as your girls'

EatingBeans

See the thing is we have sort of gotten used to the lack of lighting and dodgy toilet situation so it no longer seems urgent. 😬 I would be mortified if a guest asked to go to the toilet and they discovered what that meant in our house but the answer to that is simply don’t have guests! 🤣 Honestly, my brother even offered to give me cash to get it sorted but that would mean owing him more (albeit interest free), but I just want to feel like I am making the debt go in a positive situation first before adding to it anymore. dd1 will only live here for a few more month so spending on making memories is far more important to me atm. Once she has left, then I will reconsider the priorities but hopefully I will also have a job by then. 🤞

The credit card situation is just amusing me tbh. All that time I might have actually used the extra credit if they have given it to me sooner (because things were so tight), but now there is no chance! Fluid is my more expensive credit card and is currently top priority to work towards paying off (I left £900 still on it so I have a smaller target to focus on), absolutely no chance I will be moving a balance to it unless they offer a zero percent deal.

The good news is I have just had a phone appointment from ESA and they are processing my claim now. The guy on the phone was a little confused as to why I would apply since UC is deducted £ for £ if you get ESA but when my UC is currently being reduced to a nil claim already thanks to work paying me late, I figure I should still get a bit more money this way. That’s what google tells me anyway. More paperwork and hurdles to jump through but if it can stretch out my payment money and give me longer to find a job without stressing over the bills so much then it will be worth it.

Thankfully that’s all I need to do today. I managed to get up, dressed and microwave something to eat but that’s it. The cooler weather has set my face off and ironically I had a much worse sleep last night so today I am exhausted. I am going to order some shopping to be delivered and then have a nap (I am already in bed).

Jobs for the rest of the week include finishing moving money around and declare everything to UC, fill in PIP form 😰, make a presentation and prepare for my interview on Friday, and rest, lots of rest, and puppy cuddles. 😴

EatingBeans

This week is not going well. I have a chat about a role at 2pm and feel absolutely awful. My face hurts, I feel sick and the fatigue has come back with a vengeance. Maybe I over did it at the weekend but if I don’t crack on when I feel well I’ll spend my entire life sitting on the sofa. 😞

Presentation not made, debit card not found (so payment to credit card still outstanding), PIP form still blank and no declaration made to UC (although I now think I have to do this on the last day of the period so that doesn’t count so much in my head).

I sold one thing on ebay for £2.70 (hardly mortgage paying material!), and listing has ground to a holt. I did at least sort dd2’s money out so she’s ok and I ordered a food delivery so I have something to eat.

Honestly, I am even thinking of cancelling the interviews I feel so bad. 😭

ellenvan

£2.70 better than nothing.

Any positives with the van?

Hope you manage to summon the energy for an interview. But if your health is not up to it, maybe a part time job or self employed is the way to go.

EatingBeans

Thanks.

I took some tablets, ate something, and went for a quick nap. Got up, threw some clothes on, drank coffee, popped myself in front of the laptop and pushed through to attend my interview. Thank god for remote interviews! As it happens they are basically looking for someone to do exactly what I was doing at my old job, almost down to exactly the same challenges. In fact it was so similar he asked if I would still be interested in the role because I would be doing the same as the job I left. I said yes obviously because every place is different and has different challenges. Plus I feel like I would have a lot I could add. He seemed nice. Apparently they are hoping to only do one further interview next week and only if there are several really strong candidates would they look to do a further step with presentations etc. I feel like I have a good chance with this one and they are looking for someone to start asap so that also makes me a good candidate. It is only for 12months maternity cover so it is not a permanent solution but it would give me an income again and more time to find the next long term role.

I am going to have a bit of a break now and then think about creating my presentation for tomorrow.

I know what you are saying about going part time or self employed but I really can’t afford to if I want to shift the debt. Whilst dd2 is still around I still have someone that can help me stay employed if needed. I feel like I have to try even if all I do is wake up, eat, work and sleep. I can earn way more employed than I can self employed atm so my body just needs to get the hell on board and let me work. If I find I really can’t do it at a new place then at least I will know it’s not the work environment, it really is me. At that point I will have to rethink things.

ellenvan

Fair enough. Also stress may be slightly relieved when your debt is more under control.

Best of luck getting the job. The maternity 12 month role sounds ideal for you , as it sounds very similar to your old job.

Rest regularly.

Good luck

daisy_1571

Agreed. The stress may also be more easy to cope with when you can say its only for a year rather than the rest of my life, good luck

EatingBeans

Phew, today’s interview is over. 🙂 I am not feeling very confident about that one but I am not that bothered as I wasn’t so keen on the people either. I don’t know if they were just tired before lunch or something but they all seemed a bit like they were just going through the motions. I felt my presentation was pretty good, if a bit rushed, and most of my answers were ‘ok’ but based on the answers to my question at the end I probably would have used slightly different examples for some of them. They said I would hear early next week - the fact that they didn’t say they are running second interviews makes me think next week is just to tell me I didn’t get it. Honestly, I am not overly fussed. I mean I would take either but I think I would much prefer the one from yesterday.

On a completely separate note, not only has my credit limit on my Fluid credit card gone up, but now my Aqua credit card limit has also gone up! 🤣 Seriously, are they absolutely mental? What kind of weird algorithm is making these ridiculous decisions? Surely no sane human being would look at my finances over the past year and think “I know what this woman needs - more debt!” Ah well, I know not to use it at least. That is the main thing. 👍

Cherryfudge

Good to have that interview behind you, and a record of how you felt. And don't you hate it when companies structure the process so that candidates have to wait over a weekend for results?

The CC thing is crazy, I can only assume that if any attention has been paid at all, they are looking at you as a source of income for them. 😕 However, you are wise to their wiles and won't fall for it. 😊

Have a good weekend!